Automatic railway-signal and relay therefor.



G. L. BOPP. AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SIGNAL AND RELAY THEREFOR.

.APPLIOATI'ON FILED OCT. 24, 1910.

1 1 '1 4,428 7 Patented 0013.20, 191% C//'/7/ 0/7 L. 50 5 6. l viimeoow THE NORRIS PETERS C04, FHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D c.

CLINTON L. BOPP, or nn'wxnrniown.

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY-SIGNAL 11m nnrinrrrinnnron.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24, 1910. Serial No.588,854.

To all whom it may concern y I Be it known that I, CLINTON L. Borr, a

citizen'of the United States, residing at Hawkeye, in the county of Fayette and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Railway-Signals and Relays Therefor; and

I do hereby declare'the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to makeand use the same.

This invention relates to devicesfor storing up or accumulating impulses received by a signaling relay while the latter is locked to prevent the immediate transference of the impulses to that part of the line ahead of the relay.

The object of this invention is to provide a device which will automatically store el'ec trio impulses in the form of potential energy with a view to later transforming the potcntial energy so stored into impulses which may be impressed upon the line at the proper time. p

With these and other objects in view which will appear as the description pro ceeds the invention. consists in the novel combination and arrangement of partshereinafter described and claimed.

The drawing shows the accumulating mechanism with cover of the casing removed, the wiring'being shown diagrammatically.

The matter covered in this application 'is designed to be used upon all systems of railway signaling where it is necessary to store or accumulate signals at the same time that other signals areybeing relayed and is more particularly designed to be used upon the signaling system shown in myapplicationf filed June 2, 1911, Serial Number 636,170,

crate, the mechanism ofthe accumulator be ing designed to operate whenthe relay with which it is connected, has been locked by a train in the next block ahead. i

Broadly the invention consists of a corrugated wheel adapted to be actuated when the relay is locked, and a roller engaging the corrugationsof said wheel and adapted to make and break contacts as the wheel revolves to impress impulses upon the line.

In orderto completely illustrate the op eration of this accumulator it will be necessary to show some of thejparts ofthe relay only indirectly connected therewith. Re; ferring more particularly to the drawing,

numeral 1 designates a line wire, 2 an electro-magnet connected therewith, and'3 a return linewire. The magnet 2 is designed to be energized so long as a train is in the block immediately ahead of the station at which theaccumulator is located. Current, flowing throughmagnet'2 will energize the same so that armature 41 normally held by. spring 5 will be drawndownto make con tacts with point 6. Assoon as armature 4: has contacted with point 6 current will flow from the main line wire 7 wire 8, electromagnet 9, wire 10, armature 4, contact point 6, wire 11 to the ground. Current flowing in this circuit will cause magnet 9 to attract armature 12 which is rigidly connected with an arm -13pivotally connected to the housing 11. The housing 14 carries an adjustable screw which in turn regulates the tension of a spring 15 connected with the. arm 13, the object of the springbeing to attract the arm 13to the right when the circuit Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

through magnet 9 has beenbroken by the deenergizatiori of magnet 2. As soon as the arm 13 hasmoved to the left, as indlcated 1n the drawlng, the screw 24 and spring con will close the following circuit: main line wire 16,'wire 1?, wire 18, spring contact 19, which is mounted upon frame 14:, contacting screw 20 which'is carried by an arm 21 also tact 23 will be in contact, the result of which pivoted to the frame 14:, wire 22, contact 1 spring 23, contacting screw 24, wiref25,

electro-magnet 26, and wire 27 to the ground. 3 I

Current flowing in this circuit will cause armature28to be attracted, when a' local circuit will be closed, current starting from.

ice"

battery 29, flowing through armature 28, through wire'30, wire31, magnet 32, wire 35 rigidly secured to arm 36, pivoted at one end 37 tothe frame l i and provided at the other end with *a'riadjustable screw 38 to limit the downward movement thereof. Des

pending from arm SG'intermediate the ends thereof i s'a projection 39 carrying an ad{ justablc screw 10 for the purpose of altering the tension upon spring 41, one end of which spring is secured to pawl 42. The pawl 12 is provided with an armature d3 rigidly connected thereto, and is pivoted to the arm 36 at point 4:4:-

As armature 35 is drawn upwardly by magnet 32 the pawl #12 is also raised, the ef' fect of which is to give a partial rotation to ratchet wheel which is loosely mounted upon shaft 16 journaled in any suitable manner to the frame 14:. Rigidly secured to ratchet wheel 15 is a drum47 having wound around it a flexible tape 48, the purpose of which will be explained presently. A sec ond ratchet wheel 49. also rigidly secured to the drum 17, is designed to have its teeth engaged by a pawl 50 which is pivoted in any suitable manner to a corrugated wheel 51 and held against the ratchet wheel 49 by a spring 52 secured to the corrugated wheel 51. Pivoted to the frame 14 at any eonvcnient point is a pawl arm 53 having a curved pointed end which is adapted to set into the groove formed between the corrugations of the wheel 51 to prevent said wheel from rotating in a counter-clockwise direction, it being desired that wheel 52 have only a clockwise rotation. Another pawl 55 pivoted as at 56 to the frame 1% is constrained by means of a spring 57 adjustably secured to the frame 1-": to engage ratchet wheel 45, so that as pawl 42 rises and partly rotates the ratchet wheel 15 and pawl 55 will operate to engage the next tooth of the said ratchet wheel t hold the same in its new position. The flexible tape t8 is provided at a suitable point below the drum 47 with a stop 58, the purpose of which will be explained later. To the lower extremity of tape 18 is secured a piston 59, designed to reciprocate within dash pot 60 to expel the air from chamber 61 through restricted passage 62. The object of this is to prevent too rapid descent of the piston 60, a screw. 63 being provided in.

the restricted passage 62- for adjusting the speed at which piston 60 shall descend. Secured to but insulated. from frame 1 1 is a bracket 6% to which is pivoted, as at 65, a two armed lever 66, the lower arm 67 of which is designed to make contact with contact screw 78, while the upper arm 7 0 ispro-' vided with an eye of insulating material 71, throughwhich 48 is designed to pass.

Although but one energization of magnet 32 has been traced it is to be understood that there will be as many energizations of said magnet 32 as there are impulses received by the relay while arm 13 is held by the magnet 9, and it is also evident that it is desired to impress upon the line as many impulses after the lever 13 has been drawn to the right as were received when the same waste the left. As soon as the lever 13 has been released conditions are created which will admit of a transference of the accumulated signals to the next station ahead. Lever 13 will be released when a train passes the station immediately ahead of the one at which the accumulating device is located, for the passing of the train past the next station will result in the deenergization of electromagnet 2, the result of which is to break circuit on magnet 9 and release lever 13 when the lever 13 swings to the right. After the corrugated wheel 51 has been rotating in its accumulating operation, stop 58 will be moved from the insulating eye 71 and spring 69 will be free to draw arm 67 of the lever 66 over until it makes contact with contact point 78. As soon as the contact is made at 78 the following local circuit is closed: battery 29, wire 72, wire 73, electromagnet 74, wire 75, electromagnet 76, wire 77, bracket 6%, lever arm 67, contact point 78, wire 79, contacting screw 80, contacting spring 81 secured to but insulated from arm 13, wire 32, wire 83, back to the battery. Current flowing in this circuit will energize magnets is and 76 which will in turn attract armatiires 4:3 and 34-. respectively. These armatures will carry with them the pawls 4-2 and 55 respectively, so that all the holding means which previously held ratchet wheel 45in a fixed position are now moved out of holding positionand stop 58 is free to descend to cause the rotation of drum 17. As the drum revolves it carries with it the ratchet wheel -19 which is engaged by pawl 50 pivotally secured to the wheel 51. The pawl arm 53 will not. interfere with the rotationofthe wheel 51 by the descent of the tape d8 but will permit the same, insomuch as this is a clockwise rotation.

As wheel 51 rotates it will cause roller 83, which is journaled in arm 21, to rock back and forth to break contact between spring 19 and screw 20 and make contact between the contact spring 86 and contact screw 87. As the spring 86 contacts with contact screw 87 the following line circuit will be set up: current will flow from main line wire 16, wire 17, wire 88 contact spring 86, contact screw 87, Wire 89 to main line wire 7, thus giving an impulse to the main line wire which will result in the energization of the magnets in the next relay in the line. It will be evident that if, for instance, three separate energizations had been received by electro-magnet 32, that three corrugations on wheel 53 would have been drawn under the roller 85, insomuch as the number of teeth upon the ratchet wheel 45 is the same as the number of corrugations upon wheel 51. Thus, as many impulses as are stored by the mechanism associated with wheel 51 will be impressed upon the main line wire.

From the construction described it will be seen that as many impulses as may be desired can be stored or accumulated in the manner described and be later impressed upon the main line when the same is in a condition to receive said impulses. I

Although magnet 26 has been shown as detached from the frame 14, it is to be under stood, of course, that. the same could be secured upon frame lat if so desired. Also, if so desired, more binding posts could be added to the frame so that only one connection would have to be made from each of the two line wires which might simplify the wiring somewhat, although to do this would not in the least alter the method of opera tion.

lVhat I claim is: 1. In an automatic signaling device, a, drum, means for rotating the drum in one direction, a weighted tape adapted to be wound around the drum as the latterrotates I in said direction, means for holding the drum in any predetermined position, means for releasing the drum, a corrugated wheel, means for connecting the corrugated wheel and drum when the latter is released, and a contact adapted to be periodically closed as the corrugated wheel rotates.

2. In an automatic signaling device, a rotatably mounted drum, a contact, means for rotating the drum through a predetermined angle in one direction, means for closing the contact as the drum rotates in said direction, means for returning the drum through the same angle, and means for opening the contact as the drum is returned through the pre determined angle.

3. In an automatic signal device, a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing, a corrugated wheel mounted on said shaft, a drum mounted on said shaft, a tape wound upon said drum, a weight secured to said tape, electro-inagnetic means for turning said drum to raise said weight, means for retaining said weight in its raised position, means for electro-magnetically releas ing said weight, an electric contact, and means associated with said corrugated wheel for intermittently making and breaking said contact.

hIn an automatic signal device, a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing, a

drum mounted on said shaft, a tape wound. upon said drum,.a' weight secured to'said tape, a stop secured to said tape, a-lever pivoted to said housing, said lever being spring-held against said stop, an electric contact on said lever which is closed when said stop is lifted from said lever, means magnetically controlled for liberating said weight and stop whereby said drum is ro-- tated, said stop engaging the lever to break the contact associated with said lever as the. drum rotates.-

5.111 an automatic signal device, a housing, a shaft mounted in said housing, a drum carried on said shaft, a ratchet wheel rigid withI'said drum, a corrugated wheel loosely mounted on said shaft, a pawl mounted on said corrrugated wheel and spring-held against said ratchet wheel, a pawl engaging said corrugated wheel, a weight suspended fromisaid drum, electro-magnetic means for revolving said drum against the action of said weight, means for electro-magnetically ing the said ratchet wheel through the same 7 angle in the opposite direction, means secured to said corrugated wheel for turning the same with the ratchet wheel on the return of said ratchet wheel, an electric con-v tact, and means associated with the corrugated wheel forclosing said" contact a predetermined number of times, the number of times said contact is closed depending d1-' rectly upon the angle through. which the ratchet wheel is turned. I

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CLINTON L- BOPP. Witnesses: I

Manon E. Bron, RA BALDRIDGE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, I). G. 

